A source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN the state attorney's office believes there were two motives in the home invasion murder of Florida couple Byrd and Melanie Billings -- robbery and a contracted hit. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office had said it believed robbery was the prime motive, but that it would explore all avenues. The source said the state attorney's office is working under the belief that most of the suspects in the case thought they were ...

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is expected to ask the Obama administration for additional troops and equipment, according to a senior U.S. military official familiar with Gen. Stanley McChrystal's thinking. The request will be for troops and equipment for conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as more assets to deal with roadside bombs and explosives, said the official, who declined to be identified because McChrystal's request has not been formally transmitted to the Pentagon. The request could be ...

Hackers repeatedly attacked the Web site of Australia's largest film festival Saturday, asking organizers to apologize to the Chinese people for planning to screen a documentary on an exiled Uyghur leader. The attacks were carried out on the opening day of the Melbourne International Film Festival -- in what organizers are calling the third phase of a "concerted campaign" to withdraw the film "The 10 Conditions of Love." The documentary examines the impact on the family of activist Rebiya Kadeer ...

A few weeks ago, outgoing White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten gathered nearly a dozen former chiefs of staff in his corner West Wing office and held a courtesy orientation session for Rahm Emanuel, the next man to assume the second hardest job in Washington. The idea was for each former chief to give Emanuel some practical advice on how to function in his new role. And so around the table they went: Donald Rumsfeld reminded Emanuel ...

Sales of the flu drug Relenza shot up 1,900 percent from a year ago as governments around the world stockpiled in preparation for a swine flu pandemic, drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday. Relenza sales were £60 million ($98.4 million) in the second quarter of this year, compared to £3 million ($4.9 million) in the same quarter last year, the company said in announcing its Q2 results. Glaxo also said that by the end of the year, it expects to have an ...

As President Obama prepares to address the nation in a primetime news conference, some sources say Democratic grumbling about his plan for health care is growing louder. One Democratic senator told CNN that some congressional Democrats are "baffled," and another senior Democratic source told CNN that those members are frustrated that that they're not getting more specific direction from him on health care. "We appreciate the rhetoric and his willingness to ratchet up the pressure but what most Democrats on ...

Blaine County, Idaho, doesn't care for gossip. Celebrities from Ernest Hemingway to Demi Moore have resided in the county that boasts the exclusive Sun Valley ski resort and shows big respect for people's privacy, its sheriff told CNN on Tuesday. When Blaine County residents learned about Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl's capture several days ago, they kept a lid on it. And it looks like reporters won't get much information anytime soon about the 23-year-old soldier whose fate now lies with ...

It takes seven minutes to execute a death row inmate, according to the state of Texas. At that rate, Mike Graczyk has spent about 40 hours of his life watching men -- and a few women -- die. Graczyk, a correspondent for The Associated Press, is believed to hold a macabre record. He's almost certainly watched more executions than anyone else in the United States. "I can't possibly imagine there's been someone present at more than Mike," said Michelle Lyons, ...

A family friend of a U.S. soldier captured by the Taliban said his friends and family want Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl to "stand tall, stand firm." "Bowe, if you see this, know that we love you and we are praying fervently for you and prayers are going up for you from all over the world," Tim Baker told CNN affiliate KTVB-TV in the soldier's hometown of Ketchum, Idaho. "To all of our valiant men and women, know that the American people ...

British airlines have put into effect measures to stop people with swine flu boarding flights in a bid to prevent the virus from spreading further. British Airways said there had been a "very small number of cases" where people who had checked in with symptoms of H1N1 had been advised not to travel after having medical checks. Virgin Atlantic also said victims would not be allowed to board one of its planes without a fit-to-fly certificate from their ...